Terrariums, Ramen-crusted Chicken Wings, and New Friends

Cruising the library, this book called out to me.

So this was my creative project. Took about 5 minutes plus going to Lowes to get the gravel and tillandsia. But I love it. We had the strands (can't remember its name) in the yard, and I had the vase in a cabinet. Here are my trinkets from Oaxaca enjoying my creation.

I also made this - ramen encrusted chicken wings, which I saw on the Today Show when I was home on Wednesday for Kuhio Day. It was good, but don't know if it's worth the trouble. Dry coat, wet count, fry, drain, wet coat, dredge in crumbled ramen. I'll make it for potluck sometime and see what people think. Mom thought it was soooo good.

All in all, a good day. I also made new friends and supported a cause. Not much writing right now, but recording my attempts helps me to stay on track with my goal of being more creative. 

Centering with a Celtic Heart Knot

Today is a state holiday in Hawaii, celebrating Prince Kuhio, the more famous of the two heirs to the throne, had Hawaii not been overthrown. Histories of native Hawaiian figures seem to have this conflicting tragic aspect to them, caught between two worlds, two eras. 

Today, I felt like I had to make something, so I made a Celtic heart following directions that a friend had posted on Facebook. you may ask, what is creative about following directions to make something, when your intent is to replicate it, and not try to add your your take on it.

My definition of creativity is very broad. It wasn't there, and now it's there. I didn't know how to do something, and now I do. It is a thing of beauty and charm. It makes me proud. I somehow need to make something on a regular basis. Yes, it'd be great to be an artist, and define your identity as well as your profession as that. But, I am exploring creativity on more of an everyday level, following an impulse to make something, to create something, as a way to flourish, to be centered. 

Short Reviews of Kingsolver Novels

I realized that when I read books, though I think they have had a profound effect on me at the time, years later, I only faintly remember that I read these novels. So, I am going to attempt to review every book that I get that feeling about, to secure it in my memory banks. To free my brain up, I wrote the reviews in the form of free verse. What attracted me to Prodigal Summer that day that I discovered the public library in my neighborhood, was that it was set in Appalachia, and I had spent time there with my friend Betsy this past summer. I picked up Lacuna because I wanted to read Kingsolver again, and here was one about Mexico, another of my passions. 

Prodigal Summer

This is what book-reading should be like.

You know it has to end,

 But you don't want it to.

You miss it because you finished it.

You miss the characters,

You know the loose ends,

The foreshadowing,

The plot lines 

Are all tied up 

and if it were to go on, 

it'd probably get redundant 

Or sappy

But you still wish it wasn't over.

Your perspective on life

And nature

And ecology

And the web of life

Is deepened

And your desire is piqued 

To know your own back yard ecology better

Or you hope so.

Amidst so much change

And destruction

And separation from the natural world 

We are fraught with

In the modern world

There is still a thread of hope

That nature will win

That we have a role in that.

The Lacuna

I have an affinity for Mexico. 

Have always loved Frida Kahlo

And Diego Rivera

And history.

Pretty amazing that this work of fiction

Could braid together

All these strands

The Mexican revolution 

Russian politics of the time

The decline of Trotsky and

Rise of Stalin

American history of the time,

Involvement in World War II

And then the Cold War

Not to mention

What it was to be a gay man 

At the time

Not to mention 

What it was to be a victim

Of anti-communist persecution 

About loyalty oaths

And then there's the delicious character trait 

That he was a cook. 

And a writer.

A journal-writer. 

A writer of historical fiction,

Which I love.

Too bad he was not a real author.

I want to read his novels. 

My Quest to Make Chicken Kelaguen

To reiterate, the purpose of this blog is to explore and define the creative impulse. Thus far, I have learned that following through on an idea is part of it. So whenever I have an idea, I go with it without second-guessing myself.  Lately, I've been thinking of foods from Guam, where I grew up. I think it's because my friend has an opportunity to run a food truck with her daughter, and I want to help, maybe as hired help or maybe collaborator. It is their food truck, but talking to her about it made me think about what I would do if I had an opportunity like that. 

Which brings me to chicken kelaguen. It is one of my all-time favorite foods. Maybe because it brings back memories of Guam, or maybe because it's just so dad-gum good. (That's just the word that came to mind). I have never in my life made it. It always looked so complicated, and I just left it for brother Kevin to make when he visited (which is not very often). Since we moved to Hawaii, the only time we've served it at family gatherings is when Kevin was visiting. The Aoki family in Kona knows this dish well. 

But now I have crossed that threshold. I found fresh coconut at the Produce Stand across from Choice Mart at the old Kona Theatre. This is a great place to get local, organic, GMO-free produce, by the way. The coconuts were already husked, the helper saved me the juice in a ziplock bag, and she cracked it open for me. And so, the plan is now set in stone. Have coconut, will kelaguen. 

We have this coconut grater (kamyo) that we brought with us from Guam when we moved back here in 1989. 

After all these years, it looks the same as when we bought it, and works beautifully. It is made of the Guam wood, ifit, and has this incredible metal piece for grating. This kamyo was made by a master craftsman. I grated coconut on it today for the first time!  It was so much fun and I don't know why I have not made it part of my life before this.  

This is slow food, like the time I made a mole' that I had learned to make in a cooking class in Oaxaca. Because it takes some effort, it is satisfying. There's also something special about getting the lemons, coconut, and just-picked green onion from this country produce stand, and the peppers (donne) from our yard. 

What's creative about this? I created a satisfying dish laden with memories. I created a sense of accomplishment. 

What Inspires Creativity? - A Short List

Yesterday, while driving around, I started to get ideas for things "someone" should do when "they" retire or have more time on "their" hands. Today, I saw a post on Edutopia, "Creativity on the Run:18 Apps to Inspire Creativity." The apps, truth be told, were not inspiring. So it made me wonder, just what was going on yesterday that got me inspired. 

I started the day by going to the post office.  I had ordered a new book from Amazon by creativity guru, Austin Kleon, titled Show Your Work, about being a working artist or writer. I hadn't read it yet when I started having these ideas. Maybe it was the vibe of the book that was emanating to my brain. I had ordered this book for obvious reasons, but also as a way to support art and creative writing in others. So, while I do have some money (not being retired yet),  I spend it on books. I have no more shelf space, but that's okay, I'll figure it out. I'm putting my money where my mouth, and heart is. 

The second thing I did was go to the public library. Since I rediscovered this amazing community resource, I have been motivated to choose my reading well, and read a whole novel in the three weeks I have with it. The trip to the library becomes a trip to your "self", your identity, an affirmation and recognition of who you are and what is important to you. After making my selections to check out, I sat with a magazine called Flux, a lifestyle magazine based in Hawaii. This one had a War and Peace theme, which was very interesting. 

Then I went to the Keauhou Farmers Market, where I got an avocado and some honey. Why is this creative? It connects you to people doing creative, life-affirming things with their lives. Entrepreneurship is creative, I believe. 

Decided to have lunch at Habeneros, and wanted to tweet: Why do I love Mexican food? I may start tweeting, as I have these tweetable thoughts (and Austin Kleon says to). On my way out, I saw a woman looking out to the ocean with a camera. I looked to see what she was looking at, and I saw a big splash which we know as whale action. I parked my car to whale-watch, and though I saw some spouting, I did not see more breaching. Was this inspiring me? The life force from these magnificent creatures, which I only saw glimpses of? 

This is not my meal, found it on Trip Advisor, but I had 2 soft tacos, fish and carne asada. 

Finally, I went to the beach.  It was one of those shore-crashing Kona days. There's something exhilarating about those days. I read my new book, which was like sitting with a good friend telling you to "Just Do It!" Perhaps, at some point, my creative ideas will come to fruition, as they were sure flowing. Now is not the time. 

This is not the beach I went to, because I didn't take my camera/phone with me. But this was one of those shore-crashing days as well. 

But I will share this. Based on my day, here are 4 things you can do to inspire creativity.

1) Support writers whose work includes inspiring creativity. 

2) Support your local library, spend time there reconnecting to your self.

3) Support  local businesses, especially farmers and restaurants.

4) Go to the beach. Look for whales or dolphins. I don't think this works on its own, because most times, beach days are for chilling, and not doing much of anything, which is still a good thing. I think the important thing was breaking out of my routine and getting out to get fresh air and be one on one with nature. I'm sure it was the combination of these elements in the context of other things going on in my life now that got the juices flowing. 

Why I Write: A Story about Ukus

        My friend blessed me with this story about a story I had written about ukus.

When I lived in Honolulu, I used to write scripts for the Honolulu Theatre for Youth's annual Christmas Talk Story. The artistic director at the time invited writers to submit a script for a monologue from a child's point of view about some aspect of the holidays in Hawaii. I loved this aspect of my writing life, just small enough to be doable, and to consider myself a writer. I think I had 4 different stories in, and then there were 2 "Best of ..." shows, which were bonuses. (There were also 2 rejections along the way.)  Two of my scripts were published in a book that included a CD of actors performing the stories.  One of the stories is about sibling rivalry over a favorite cousin and the other is about ukus and mother-daughter bonding. 

My friend shares the book with her class before winter break and always reminds me about it every year. This year, during the break, her sister and niece were visiting. California lice (since they were from California, they were not Hawaiian ukus) stowed away on her young niece, so they had to deal with it when they arrived. It was not a pleasant experience, and then my friend remembered my story, so as her sister was combing the lice from her little girl's hair, my friend, the Aunty, read the story to them. She told me that both her sister and her niece were touched by my story, relaxing as the lice were combed out and away. 

I used to say that if I can touch even one person by something that I wrote, I would be happy. I still think that's true. I am not very ambitious, except to have enough of these validating moments. 

Thank you, friend. 

Note: I wrote this in January and was going to post the uku story with it. But I had written it on a different computer and can't access those files, so they need to be retyped again. One day I will do that. 

Food Love: Red Salad and Flourless Chocolate Cake with Grapefruit

        Yes, cooking is creative, even if you are following a recipe.

I had saved some recipes that were recently seen either on sites I subscribe to or on Facebook that seemed to have a Valentines Day focus. Yesterday, I went to the farmers market by the Sheraton, and got beets, cilantro, and red cabbage, all locally and organically grown. The recipe I was going to use was Fergus Henderson's Red Salad found on website Food 52. All I needed was the red onion. I also thought black sesame seeds would put a little twist to the taste. I decided that cilantro would have to substitute for chervil, which I had to look up to find that it was in the parsley family. The dressing in the recipe was a balsamic vinegar and olive oil one. I used an espresso balsamic vinegar that I had brought home from Seattle. I also added pomegranates, which I had splurged on from Costco. So, yes, cooking is creative. My "creation" was delicious and healthy-feeling.

The other thing I made today was a version of Grapefruit Raspberry Flourless Chocolate cake seen on the Anthology magazine website. I had brought chocolate home from my trip to Oaxaca and the grapefruit in our yard is plentiful. No raspberries, but there were strawberries in the refrigerator.  So, it was a perfect recipe for me to try. I didn't follow it exactly, but I do think it came out so nicely. I always wondered  how to make flourless chocolate cake. Oh my Grapefruit! This is so good. I am feeling high from all these serotonin inducing foods.